It may seem like a good deal, but most work-at-home jobs are scams



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Wouldn't it be great if you could work from home? Think of all the laundry you'd get done! While a work-at-home job seems like a dream come true, FOX6's Contact 6 says you have to be careful.

"I thought it was going to be worth it because I get to work from home. This is fantastic," Daniel Di-Maio said.

Di-Maio thought he had found the perfect job online as a Logistics Specialist for a commerce website.

"My responsibility was to re-package everything and upload a shipping label off their website," Di-Maio said.

It sounded like a good deal, but Di-Maio was actually caught in the middle of a sophisticated re-shipping scheme.

"People from overseas who in most cases have stolen credit cards numbers, use those numbers to order merchandise from American companies. These companies often won`t send things overseas so they have to recruit an American a middle person to receive this merchandise," U.S. Postal Inspector Steve Bolz said.

The con artists offered Di-Maio $50 for every package he sent and said he may get up to 15 in one month.

"I was at $2,700 so I was on top of the world, thinking I was getting a fantastic pay day -- until it didn`t come," Di-Maio said.

"There will be a promise of $50 a parcel, but it is all bogus. At the end of the day they will never see a dime," Bolz said.

Di-Maio learned this lesson quickly, and called postal inspectors.

"When I really realized it was a scam I was like 'Oh my gosh, I`m an idiot,'" Di-Maio said.

Inspectors say re-shippers often lose money. Many are asked to buy packing supplies and scales, and are told they will be reimbursed.

"I tell people if it deals with another country and some kind of commerce or business dealings with a foreign country--look out, it may be a scam," Bolz said.

Postal inspectors say it is important to always check out the business trying to recruit you. Check their website and the BBB to see if any complaints have been filed.